


Nothing Missing

by Icarus (Slickarus)



Series: These Things Happen [2]
Category: Spring Awakening - Sheik/Sater
Genre: Also a little bit of Martha/OC but that's sort of just mentioned, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anna/Georg sort of, But the main character is Otto I guess?, Coming Out, High School, Multi, Multiple Perspectives, School Dance, but you see everyone, mention of drug use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-08-19 00:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8180756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slickarus/pseuds/Icarus
Summary: Every time Otto passed one of those pink posters, he felt like he was being stabbed. Never mind the fact that they were hot pink (not so easy on the eyes); it was what was on the posters that really hurt. Every neon flyer that was taped to the wall was advertising this year’s winter formal, which happened to fall on Valentine’s day this year. Great.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I'm back again! This work is essentially a sequel to These Things Happen to Other People (but if you really don't want to read that one, you won't be too lost in this- TTHtOP helps set up a lot of the characterizations/relationships in this story). If you read TTHtOP, you'll know that I updated pretty frequently. Now that it's the school year, there will probably be more time in between updates. Please be patient, I promise I'll get the story out to you! As always, any comments/kudos are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

Every time Otto passed one of those pink posters, he felt like he was being stabbed. Never mind the fact that they were hot pink (not so easy on the eyes); it was what was  _ on _ the posters that really hurt. Every neon flyer that was taped to the wall was advertising this year’s winter formal, which happened to fall on Valentine’s day this year. Great.

Not to be  _ that guy _ , but Valentine’s day wasn’t really something Otto was a fan of. He’d never had a really terrible experience on Valentine’s day, but come  _ on _ . He was tired of pretending, as he had for the past 17 years of his life, that he was okay with being alone. He was tired of pretending that there was nothing wrong with not being in a relationship, that it didn’t feel like he was missing something that everyone else seemed to have. These days, it seemed like everyone he knew was either in love or, at the very least, getting some on the regular. And Otto...wasn’t.

Two years ago, he had expressed this frustration to his group of friends and, somehow or another, they decided to set him up with pretty much the only girl he hung out with outside of them: Marianna Wheeland. She was funny, and cute, and she actually liked spending time with him, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. However, his friends misjudged Marianna’s friendship with him as something more and assumed she was also crushing on Otto when she was very much not. Their antics got a little too out of hand, and Marianna started avoiding Otto altogether. As much as Otto liked his friends, they really fucked up his friendship with her and, to be honest, he never really got over that.

So now, although he had half-formed fantasies and occasional hopes about some of the girls in his grade, he never let himself have full-fledged crushes because he was too afraid of rejection. He was afraid that, as soon as he opened that door, he’d be flooded with feelings that he knew wouldn’t be returned. It was easier to just hope for the best and keep to himself. He had his friends, he had his homework, and he had soccer, so what else did he really need?

Still, the pink flyers really did bother him. As much as he’d like to pretend it was better that he was single, he knew that it didn’t  _ feel  _ that way. Sometimes he’d lay in bed at night and wish for a pair of arms to wrap around him.

So no one could blame him when he ripped the flyer off his locker a little too aggressively. After all, it was his locker and he had the right to keep posters off of it. He crumpled the paper and shoved it in his pocket on his way to lunch.

Georg was the first one at their usual table, which was a relief. If anyone was more romantically hopeless than Otto, it was he. Georg had been the last person to join their friend group (not counting Melchior, whose inclusion was permanent but fickle, and Hanschen, who was around but had never really “joined”). Georg was a new student when the gang moved up to high school, and Martha, his lab partner at the time, felt so bad for him that she convinced them to let him join their little circle. They made fun of him constantly, but honestly, Otto liked spending time with Georg. He was clueless, yes, but also pretty funny. Plus he was the only one besides Moritz who would play video games with Otto (and Moritz stopped playing as much in high school because of the workload). Anyway, Otto was happy to see that Georg was sitting at the table because no doubt he would be having the same issue finding a date as Otto was. They had gone stag together to basically every dance of their high school career. Otto was just about to complain about the posters when Georg looked up at him and grinned.

“You’ll never guess what happened yesterday.”

“You had piano practice,” Otto deadpanned. Georg scowled.

“Well, yes, but that’s not a new thing.” He started smiling again. “I asked Anna to the dance, and she said yes!” Otto’s heart dropped like a piano down a flight of stairs.  _ Georg _ had a date to the dance? 

“What? How?” Georg shrugged, still smiling.

“I just asked her after school yesterday. I gave her a twix bar, and she said she’d go with me.”

“But who am _ I _ supposed to go with?” Georg looked confused.

“Did you want to go with Anna?” Otto scrubbed a hand across his face.

“No, man, I thought we would go together. Like always?” Georg looked down at his food.

“I’m sorry, I just thought it might be nice to have an actual date. Plus it’ll get my mom off my back.” Georg leaned in. “And, I’m not gonna lie, Anna’s pretty hot.” Otto was about to say more, but as if she had been summoned, Anna put her tray down on the table, followed by Martha.

“I can’t believe you’re going to the dance with Georg,” Otto blurted out before he could stop himself. Georg turned beet-red and Anna just laughed.

“He told you already, huh?”

“Why him though?” Otto hated to throw his friend under the bus (okay, maybe he didn’t hate it  _ that _ much), but it wasn’t fair that Georg had a date and he didn’t. “Even  _ I’m _ more attractive than Georg!”

“Hey!” Anna shrugged.

“Well  _ you _ didn’t ask me.”

“Well maybe I didn’t want to go with you anyway.” Anna and Martha shared a confused look; Otto wasn’t making much sense.

“Then why do you care?”

“Because I  _ don’t _ have a date to the dance, and everyone else does. It’s not fair.” Martha sighed.

“Maybe if you actually  _ asked _ somebody, you might.” Otto’s mind flashed back to the look Marianna’s face when she confronted him, and his face went cold. He shook his head.

“That’s too risky. I don’t want to get rejected.  _ Again, _ ” he said, just to make sure they knew exactly what he was talking about.

“You’ll never know until you try,” said Georg.

“Shut up,” Otto snapped.

“Look, if you’re not going to ask anyone, then stop complaining,” Anna said, and then Otto was ignored in favor of a conversation about Martha’s new dog. He thoroughly sulked until it was time to bus his tray, but he eventually forgot about it. He had more important stuff to take care of. Stuff like his Latin homework.

* * *

His footsteps echoed loudly off the walls as he walked up two flights of stairs to his apartment. He slid the key into the lock and jiggled it until the door clicked and swung open. Otto caught a faint smell that he might have missed if he didn’t know it so well. Henry must be home.

Otto dropped his stuff on the couch and went over to the window near the kitchen, wrenching it open. Then the widow in the bathroom. Otto finally gathered the nerve to knock on his brother’s door.

“Yeah,” he heard the voice say from the inside, and Otto pushed the door open. Just as he expected, Henry was reclined on the top bunk of what used to be  _ their _ bed, and there was a thin haze of smoke lingering between the bed and the ceiling. Otto crossed the room and began fiddling with the lock on their window. “What are you doing?” Said Henry from above him.

“What you should’ve done in the first place. Are you _ trying _ to get caught?” Henry swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up to face Otto.

“It’s not like mom cares.”

“Maybe not, but what if you set of the smoke alarms? Or if someone else smells it on you?” Henry shrugged.

“They’d never be able to know it was me. Even the hallways smell like pot at EC.” Otto couldn’t really respond to that. Ever since Otto got the scholarship to go to his middle school and Henry didn’t, they’d been living pretty different lives. Otto didn’t know any of Henry’s friends, but Otto could understand because none of his friends knew (or knew about) Henry. They never asked, so Otto decided not to tell them. The only time they saw that Otto had a family in his life was when Ms. Lammermeier had the rare opportunity to come to one of his soccer games (usually due to the fact that she had weird shifts scheduled).

Otto just shrugged and left the room, going back to his couch. Since about ninth grade, when Henry started smoking, Otto realized he had to move rooms or  _ he _ was going to be the one getting questioned. And he could not afford to be kicked out of his school. So he slept on the couch, despite the fact that this year it was a little too short, and he kept his clothes in some drawers in the living room and his stuff in a box next to the couch. Maybe it wasn’t his own space, but with his mom not at home and Henry in his room, he had something almost like privacy.

Otto plopped down on the couch and opened his Latin binder, but as he started his translations he couldn’t help but think back on what his friends had said at lunch. If he wanted a date to the dance, he just needed to ask someone. Maybe they had a point. But who would say yes?

He thought to his immediate circle of friends. Moritz and Melchior would go together, that was a given. Hanschen and Ernst as well. No one had said anything explicitly, but he often saw Wendla and Ilse holding hands and whispering in a way that could never be described as platonic, so he guessed they were going together, too. Then there was Georg and Anna (which Otto still didn’t understand). Martha had said she was going with one of the boys from her church group (Otto was pretty sure he was a senior; he had never met him in person). So the only person left was-

_ Nope. _ Otto wasn’t even going to think about her. Not about how her eyes lit up when she laughed at his joke the other day. Not about her sarcastic sense of humor, or how she stood up for her friends, or those long legs and dark eyelashes and-

Nope. Not today. Otto couldn’t ask Thea to the dance, because he didn’t want to crack open that seedling of  _ something _ that he feared could become more if he addressed it. Thea was a friend. Thea was  _ only _ a friend. Otto knew, even if he didn’t want to admit it, that Thea rejecting him would hurt more than any other girl in the school (except for maybe Marianna, but hey, he’d already been there and done that.)

So Otto had nobody to ask to the dance, then. He sighed. Maybe he just shouldn’t go. That might be easier than watching his friends be coupley and in love and disgusting all night, or watching  _ her _ have the time of her life with someone else. Someone who was taller, and smarter, and handsomer, and generally  _ better _ than Otto. Because that’s the kind of guy that would ask Thea to the dance. That was the kind of guy she deserved.

Otto put his head down and focused on his homework. This was more important. Besides, the dance was still two weeks away. He’d have time to figure this out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said updates would take longer, and they will, but I just so happened to already have this chapter prepared. Thanks for reading and be sure to leave feedback- I really appreciate it!

_ Breathe in for four seconds. Hold your breath for seven. Let it out for eight. _

Moritz’s breath sputtered into a cough. This was ridiculous. No amount of deep breathing exercises was going to help him control the nerves that were gripping his entire body. He just had to get this over with.  _ Or you could not. _ Certainly, avoiding his father would be easier, but Moritz thought of how crestfallen Melchior would be when he told him they couldn’t go to the dance together. He couldn’t do that to Melchior. 

It had been about a month since they started dating, and Moritz was tired. Tired of hiding everything they did from his parents. Tired of turning down Melchior’s goodbye kisses because he was afraid someone would see that knew him. Besides, what was the worst that could happen? His father might be cold, but he wasn’t a  _ monster _ . Moritz hardly believed himself on that one. But he’d already come out to his mother (unintentionally, but still.) And she had been okay with it, so even if his father wasn’t, nothing  _ too _ bad could happen, right? He needed to do this, for his own sake and for Melchior’s.

_ There’s no backing out now, you can do this. _

He knocked on the door of his father’s office and counted the seconds before he heard a response.

“Come in.” Moritz took one last deep breath and opened the door to stand before his father. “What did you want?”

“The winter formal is coming up.”

“So?” His father didn’t even make eye contact, he was so disinterested. Moritz tried to ignore how much his pulse was speeding up.

“May I go?”

“I thought you already asked your mother.”

“I did.”

“So then, what are you doing here?”

“I want to take a date this year.”

“Why does this concern me?” Moritz swallowed.

“I want to take Melchior Gabor.” His answer brought a silence over the room and all Moritz could hear was his own heart pumping blood in the veins passed his ears. His father looked up at him for the first time.

“Melchior Gabor?” He repeated slowly, perhaps willing the words to be false. Moritz nodded and hoped he didn’t look like he was as nervous as he felt. Everything would be okay, he reasoned. Melchior’s mother would surely take him in if his father kicked him out. Everything would be okay.

“Melchior Gabor. Father…” Moritz really didn’t want to continue, but he thought of Melchior again and willed himself on. “Melchior is my boyfriend.”

“I see.” Moritz could glean nothing from these words. No emotion whatsoever was distinguishable, and that made him afraid. Why did Moritz decide to do this anyway? Why did Moritz think that maybe, just maybe, his father would be okay with a queer son? He stood in painful silence for a moment longer. “Melchior is a very smart boy.” What?

“Yes, he is.”

“He has been helping you keep your grades up, yes?” Moritz only nodded. His father leaned back in his desk chair. “Alright then,” he said finally. Moritz wanted to jump for joy.

“It’s okay? Really?” He was too excited to be worried that maybe this was just a fluke; maybe his father had momentarily gone insane and would soon regain balance.

“Yes.” His father forced a smile, but it looked out of place between the frown lines so permanently etched in his face. “I would much rather you spend time with boys like him than some of your other,” he coughed, “ _ friends. _ ” Moritz hid a grimace; of course his father would always have  _ something _ bad to say.

“So it’s okay that I like boys?”

“As long as you two don’t do anything stupid, Moritz. It doesn’t matter what gender he is, you’re far too young to be having sex either way.” Moritz blushed, embarrassed. His father didn’t need to know the guest list of the sleepover they were planning after the dance.  _ Not that anything’s going to happen with Melchior, _ a little voice said in the back of his mind. He would deal with that later. “Is that everything?” Moritz nodded.

“Thank you, father.”

“Close the door on your way out.”

As soon as Moritz had a door between him and his father, he breathed a sigh of relief. How had this happened? Not only could he go to the dance, but he could go with Melchior! And his father was okay with it! (Well, sort of. His approval of the rest of Moritz’s friends would have to wait for another time.) He was so excited that he bounced down the hall and up the stairs to his room in order to text Ilse.

* * *

There were fucking  _ miles  _ of dresses. Every color and pattern imaginable. Long, short, tight, flowy. There were dresses that would make  _ Hanschen Rilow _ look conservative by comparison, and there were dresses with skirts so long that two people could fit into them and still remain anonymous. There was an absolute sea of dresses for any occasion, and Thea was drowning in said sea. She felt like she would suffocate on tulle and satin as she helplessly walked the aisles, hoping for some miracle that would reveal to her the one dress that was perfect. Honestly, Thea had taken tests that were easier than navigating this store.

She looked around for Martha, but to no avail. She was probably trying something on already. Knowing Martha, she probably tripped and fell into the perfect dress literally two seconds after they entered the store. And as for Isle and Wendla, they were probably in the changing rooms as well (and, knowing them, doing a little more than changing). So Thea was left to wonder whether or not she wanted sleeves, and which neckline she liked. How did girls  _ do _ this? Usually for dances, Thea would shop somewhere where there were more limited options and she didn’t have to make tough decisions, but Martha had insisted she come with the three of them. Thea tried to protest that she didn’t even have a date, but it wasn’t like anyone listened to her. So here she was, and at this point all the dresses were beginning to look like one awful dress.

She wished Anna were here, honestly. Anna would be able to pull five dresses, each more Thea-like than the last, and Thea wouldn’t have to do all this deciding. But Anna had to go to her cousin’s wedding this weekend, so Thea was left to fend for herself among the fabric wasteland. 

“Maybe I should just wear a suit,” she muttered to herself as she went through a rack that she could have sworn she’d already seen. Why was she bothering with this anyway? It’s not like anyone was going to ask her to the dance, anyway. Ilse had offered to have Thea come along with her and Wendla as a trio, but Thea really didn’t feel like being a third wheel. She was a junior this year. She deserved better.

The other problem was that there was nobody she really  _ could _ picture going with. Her crush on Melchior had long since faded, and she’d been so focused with work that her mind had been uncharacteristically devoid of any distractions, specifically boy-shaped ones. She lazily flipped through the guys she knew were single.  _ No, no, god no, he never would, no, ...huh, _ she stopped short.  _ Why didn’t I think of him before? _

* * *

“Babe, come on, this isn’t our wedding. I’m allowed to see you in your dress before the dance.” Wendla’s laugh rang from the other side of the changing stall.

“It’s only two weeks! Besides, it’ll be that much better when you tell me how good I look.” Wendla opened the door, sadly back in her regular clothes, and with a bundle in her arms that was covered by her jacket.

“They’re going to think you’re trying to steal it if you hide it like that,” Ilse pointed out.

“If you weren’t trying to peek, I wouldn’t have to do this. Now go try yours on and I’ll pay, then come back.”

“But babe,” Ilse sighed, then her expression changed to something more salacious. “We’ve got this changing room all to ourselves.”

“No, you do not,” Martha’s voice came from down the row of stalls. Wendla laughed again, forcing Ilse to smile as well.

“You heard her. I’ll be right back, promise.” She pecked Ilse on the lips, then walked out toward the register. As she walked down the multicolored aisles, she noticed Thea staring off into space. “Everything okay?” Thea jumped.

“What? Yeah, just thinking.”

“How’s the hunt going?” Thea groaned.

“I’m never going to find something. I’m just going to die here. Then someone else can decide what to bury me in.” Wendla gave a comforting smile.

“Hey, come on,” she said. “There’s gotta be something for you.” Wendla looked at the rack in front of her and held her hand over it. “How about...this one, or...this one.” She pulled a few dresses as if it were nothing. Thea stood, stunned, as Wendla plopped them down into her arms. How could one person decide things so easily? Wendla noticed her shock and shrugged. “If you start somewhere, you’ll have a better idea of what you want.”

“I...hadn’t thought of that,” she admitted. She walked off towards the changing rooms and Wendla tried to see if Ilse was still watching or if she had, in fact, gone to try something on. Not seeing her girlfriend, Wedla took the jacket off the dress in her arms and went to the register to buy it. She then carefully wrapped it in the bag they had given her and went back to see how her friends were doing.

Martha sat patiently, listening to the occasional frustrated noises that Thea made on the other side of the door. Occasionally, she’d come out to show Martha something, then groan and shut the door again before she could get a word in.

“This is stupid,” she heard Thea repeat for what seemed like the thousandth time.

“I believe in you,” she said, and tried to sound encouraging. “What about that navy one?”

“Huh?”

“The one in your pile. Navy blue?” Martha heard the shuffling of fabric as Thea put on the dress, and then a long silence. “Thea?” The door slowly opened, and there she stood.

The dress itself was fairly simple. Navy blue, it was fitted on top and looser on the bottom, ideal for twirling. It fell just above her knees. The neckline went up to her collar, but there was a cutout in the front revealing a triangle of skin, and in the back there were three silver buttons at the top. It was...perfect. It kissed her curves and held her shoulders and showed off just enough skin in the bodice that it didn’t feel like a turtleneck. Martha grinned when she saw it. “Do you like it?” Thea turned to look at herself in the mirror (again). It really did look nice, plus she had a pair of silver shoes that she had been meaning to wear but never found the occasion for.

“I guess I’m going to the dance after all,” she said after a long pause. Martha jumped up and hugged her tightly. “Hey, hey, not the dress,” Thea said, but she was smiling, too. And maybe she knew whom she could ask after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In regards to Moritz coming out-  
> I realize that I portrayed his father as pretty frightening in my last fic, and I tried to stay as consistent to that character as I could. However, Moritz also canonically does reveal things to his father, and his father does care about him. I realized I would rather focus on other plotlines in this story than Moritz and Melchior trying to hide their relationship from Moritz's dad. While I realize some people may not agree with me, I think that the interaction is not too much of a stretch of my established universe and I hope that you can work past it even if you don't agree with it.  
> Thanks for reading and as always, I love feedback in the form of comments/kudos. Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for minor drug use (marijuana), and some coarse language. Thanks for all the positive feedback so far, it really keeps me going.

Ernst was nervous and therefore he was clutching the flowers in his hand very tightly. Which made him nervous that he’d crush the stems and be left with a wet, ugly mess. Which made him nervous that flowers weren’t a good idea. After all, were these even the right ones? Should he have gone with roses? Carnations? Which flower said “you make me happy beyond anything I’ve known; will you go to the dance with me?” What if Hanschen laughed? What if he said no? Ernst had to think realistically here: they’d been dating for a month and Hanschen hadn’t made any move to end it. Of course he’d say yes. Ernst was being ridiculous.

He hopped out of the car and waved goodbye to his mother with his free hand, while his other hand was firmly clasped around the bouquet of irises. Usually he rode his bicycle to school, but he didn’t want to stick the flowers in his backpack or smush them between his palm and the handlebars, so he’d gotten a ride. He let out a deep breath and made his way to the front doors of the school.

After he took a few steps into the building, he stopped short. The halls were relatively empty, but there was the distinct sound of a violin echoing down the corridor. Even without the orchestra backing it, he recognized the long, slow notes - it was the Swan, from Carnival of the Animals (one of his guilty pleasure pieces). He followed the sound down the hall towards his own locker, and turned the corner to see one Hanschen Rilow on his violin, drawing the sweet notes out of the instrument with an intensely focused look on his face. Ernst nearly dropped the irises. When Hanschen saw that Ernst had arrived, he faltered for only a moment, but kept playing through. The violin part was relatively simple, but the way he caressed each note and laced them with such passion was breathtaking. He truly was talented.

When he finished, he lowered the instrument and saw the irises in Ernst’s hand.

“Are those for me?” He nodded.

“Will you go to the winter formal with me?” Ernst said, extending the flowers towards Hanschen, who laughed. “What is it?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing. We really do have great timing.” He leaned towards Ernst and they kissed. “Why else do you think I’m playing my violin in the hallway?” Ernst blushed.

“I’m sorry I stole your thunder.” Hanschen turned and began to put his violin back into its case.

“You should be. I’ve been practicing for weeks,” he quipped. When his hands were free, he took the flowers. “These are beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you,” the line slipped out. Hanschen rolled his eyes.

“You’re so corny.”

“You literally played me a violin piece in the middle of the hallway.”

“And you love me for it.”

As Georg rounded the corner, he saw Hanschen and Ernst making out intensely and decided that he didn’t  _ really _ need to put his books away right now.

* * *

By Thursday Thea was ready to vomit. On Monday, she had to listen to Ernst tell the story of his and Hanschen’s double-dance-ask and it was only cute the first time she heard it. On Tuesday, she bore witness to Moritz Stiefel asking Melchior to the dance via posterboard, and also the excessive pda that followed. Wednesday was when Ilse presented Wendla with a gorgeous drawing of their clasped hands and blushed cherry-red when Wendla agreed to go with her (as if they weren’t already dating). Thea was up to her ears in coupley bullshit and she was simultaneously repulsed and jealous. Fuck gender roles, she was getting herself a goddamned  _ date. _

Otto was loading his textbooks into his bag when Thea approached him at his locker. He gave a slight nod, thinking she was just passing by. She wasn’t.

“Okay, here’s the deal,” she started, and he looked a little startled that she was actually talking to him right now. “You don’t have a date to the dance.” He huffed a little.

“You don’t have to rub it in.”

“I’m not. I don’t have one either.” He looked a little surprised.

“How? You’re so...you..uh…” He cleared his throat. “You’ve got like a million friends.” Then she laughed. Out loud.

“I don’t know who you’ve got me confused with.”

“Okay, fine. No one asked you. What does this have to do with me?”

“We should go to the dance together.” Otto’s heart skipped a beat.

“Together?”

“Yeah. I don’t wanna be the only one going alone, and I bet you don’t either.” Otto laughed nervously.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t like you like that,” he blurted out. She rolled her eyes.

“Well you’re no fucking dreamboat either, but I’d like to hear you come up with a better plan. I mean, who are  _ your _ options, huh? Marianna?” Otto blushed. “But if you really think it’s that dumb of an idea, I’ll go find someone else.”

“Wait, no!”

“So you want to go with me?” Otto didn’t know what to say. If he said no, then he’d miss his opportunity to spend a whole night next to her. If he said yes… well, he wasn’t sure whether he’d be able to handle the heartbreak if she didn’t like him back.

“Yeah,” he finally said.

“You’re sure?” Otto nodded.

“Okay then.” She frowned a little bit, then turned and walked down the hallway. Otto tried very hard to keep from slamming his head into the locker next to him.

* * *

When he got home, he briefly debated whether he should even do this. But then he remembered the events in the hallway and was overcome with a wave of embarrassment, so he pushed open Henry’s door and went inside.

“Isn’t the polite thing to do these days knock?” Otto ignored his brother’s words and took the joint held between Henry’s fingers. Henry’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Hey now,” he said as Otto put it between his lips. “Finally decided to go rogue?” Getting no response, Henry tried again. “You know, smoking doesn’t actually make you cooler.” All he got in return was a glare.

“Jesus, what happened? Did you fail a test or something?” Otto rolled his eyes, but Henry’s guess wasn’t unfounded. The first (and only) time Otto had smoked with Henry was two years ago. Otto was freaking out so much after getting a D on a big project that Henry didn’t know any other way to calm him down.

“I wish,” Otto said.

“What’s bugging you, baby bro?”

“We’re literally twins.”

“Yeah, but I came out first.” Otto was annoyed, but at least today Henry was being friendly rather than moody. “Fine, we don’t have to talk about it."

“A girl asked me to the winter formal.” Henry laughed.

“Jesus, I knew you went to a stuck-up school, but  _ winter formal _ ?” He stopped when he noticed that Otto wasn’t laughing. “But anyway, what’s wrong with that? Is she ugly or something?” Otto shook his head.

“No, she’s really hot.”

“Then what’s the big deal?”

“I fucked up. I told her I didn’t know if I wanted to go with her and that I’m not into her but then I told her I’d go with her anyway.”

“Why the hell would you do that?”

“It’s stupid.”

“Otto, I know. You’re a fucking idiot. So tell me why.” Otto sighed.

“I don’t want to let myself have a crush on her, okay? She probably doesn’t like me, you know,  _ like that _ , and I don’t wanna get my hopes up by being her date and everything when she doesn’t even like me back.”

“Wow, that is dumb.”

“Told you so.”

“But you did say yes. That’s good, right?” Otto paused.

“I guess. But she probably thinks I hate her or something now.”

“Otto, it’s just a dance. Besides, I don’t know this girl, but she’s gotta like you a little more than the average person to ask your sorry ass out.”

“I’m literally the only person she had left.”

“That’s what  _ she _ says. Otto, clearly you’ve already got a thing for her.”

“Do  _ not _ .”

“If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be smoking pot and taking advice from your delinquent brother.” This made Otto crack a smile. “You just need to let her know that you really do want to be her date, and that she isn’t just a last resort.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Dude, I don’t have all the answers. You figure it out.” Otto stared down at his feet. For once in his life, Henry was right. He really had to pull his shit together.

“Thanks,” he said.

“That’s what I’m here for,” Henry responded. “Now get out of my room.” Otto stood up and called back over his shoulder as he walked out.

“My name’s still on the door!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading and I really appreciate feedback (comments, kudos, etc). The conversations at the end of the chapter were really tricky, so I hope they make sense. More to come soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kind of tough to write, but I'm glad I cranked it out! If it seems a little rough, I apologize.

It didn’t really help that Thea sat right in front of him during math. Usually, they were on opposite sides of the room, but today she slipped in right when the bell rang and that was the only seat left. So he had to stare at her back and wonder what the hell he could do.

What would he say to her? His mind had been running nonstop since last night, and he still couldn’t think of a single thing. He couldn’t tell the truth, otherwise she’d know that he was interested in her. He couldn’t have that. What if she left him, like Marianna? Most of his friends preferred Thea over him anyway; where would he be if they weren’t friends anymore? 

He could lie, of course. Say that there was some other girl, but then he’d have to come up with who that was. Also, by doing so, she might call off their date. And Otto  _ really  _ needed to go to the dance with Thea. Maybe he could tell her -

His train of thought was cut off when the bell rang and the class got up, eager to head to lunch.  _ Fuck it, let’s do this, _ he thought, and walked quickly to catch up with Thea in the hall.

“Hey, you going to lunch?” She looked a little started, but regained her composure.

“No, I think I’ll starve today.”

“Can I come with?” She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. That was a good sign. Otto stood behind Thea in the lunch line, and she made no move to turn around. He had to do all the work himself, apparently.

“Hey,” he said before he could stop himself. “I’m sorry about yesterday?”

“What do you mean?” She was still facing forwards.

“When you asked me to the dance, I acted really weird. I didn’t want to come off that way.”

“How  _ did _ you want to come off?”

“I really want to go with you, honest. I was just...concerned.”

“Concerned about what?” She shifted a little so he didn’t have to talk to her back entirely.

“I didn’t even know if I could go this year.” Although he was grasping, this was actually kind of true. Now that he thought about it, he still hadn’t talked to his mom about it. “I should have just given you a straight answer. I’m sorry; I’m an idiot.”

“Well, yeah,” she cracked a smile. That was good. “Tell me something I  _ don’t _ know.”

“But anyway, the point of this entirely awkward conversation is that I’d love to go to the dance with you. My main concern now is just that we’ll blow everyone else out of the water with our sick moves.” She grinned.

“They’d better get prepared if they wanna see this,” she gestured to herself. “At its full potential.” Otto smiled, glad to move past yesterday’s nightmare.

* * *

 

As they began to joke more, a pair of eyes was watching them from the other side of the cafeteria. Ernst tapped his fork thoughtfully against his plate.

“Thea and Otto, what do you think?” Hanschen looked up from his lunch.

“They’re people. Be more specific.”

“Do you think they’d be cute together?” He followed Ernst’s gaze to where Thea was handing Otto a lunch tray.

“I don’t know, seems like a stretch to me. They’re just talking.”

“No, I think Ernst might be onto something,” Martha said. “They have a similar sense of humor, and Otto’s smart. Thea likes smart guys.”

“No, Thea liked  _ one _ guy, and he just happened to be smart.” Everyone except Melchior giggled.

“Thea liked someone? Who?” He looked around, but everyone was laughing harder.

“Moritz,” Anna said to him as he sat down. “Poll question: Thea and Otto. Would they be a good couple?” He thought for a second.

“I guess I could see it.” Ernst shot a smug look at Hanschen. “Wait a sec- you all aren’t planning to-”

“Hey, what are we talking about?” Thea said as she sat down, leaving room for Otto. Everyone looked extremely suspicious while trying to act normal. “Did I say something?”

“No, it’s nothing,” Martha said. “Hey, Thea, did anyone ask you to the dance yet?” Otto blushed.

“Nope,” she said, and started to eat her lunch.

“What about you, Otto? Ask anyone yet?” He shook his head.

“Have you thought about anyone to ask?” Ernst nudged Hanschen with his shoulder, who rolled his eyes.

“Nope.”

“Why not?” Moritz said.

“I already have a date.” Everyone except for Thea reacted with varying degrees of shock and confusion, from Wendla’s quirked eyebrow all the way to Georg just about falling out of his chair.

“But you said-”

“That I didn’t ask anyone. Wow, I thought you guys were more liberal-minded than that. Can’t I get asked?”

“Okay then,” Ilse said. “Who asked you?”

“Who do you think?” He said. “Honestly, I’m curious. Who do you think asked me to the dance?” Everyone looked at each other and shrugged. “Really? You have that little faith in me?” He sighed. “Okay guys, do the math. How many of us are there?”

“Counting Hanschen?”

“Hey!”

“Yes, counting Hanschen.”

“Eleven,” Melchior said after a quick look around the table.

“Right. And who here has a date to the dance?” Everyone raised their hand.

“Wait, Thea,” Martha said. “I thought-”

“It’s not that hard,” she said, and waited a moment while everyone slowly got it.

“You and Otto?” Ernst guessed, practically bouncing out of his seat. The two of them nodded, and everyone else silently screamed at each other via eye contact. Thea and Otto looked at each other and shrugged.

“That’s awesome,” Wendla said. “Now we know everyone who’s going to be going. Anna, are we still staying at your place after?” She nodded.

“Yeah. My mom won’t stop talking about how she ‘understands’ from ‘when she was my age’, but at least that means she’ll leave us alone.” 

The conversation shifted to dance logistics, but Ernst couldn’t help looking at Thea and Otto for the rest of the lunch period. There was definitely something going on that they weren’t telling him. 

* * *

Otto woke up when the door sounded and he heard his mother’s footsteps as she collapsed into the chair in the kitchen. He turned over to face her.

“Hey, mom.” She looked at him and waved a hand.

“Go back to bed, honey,” she said quietly. He sat up on the couch.

“Actually, I had something I wanted to ask you.” She started taking of her shoes.

“What is it?”

“There’s a school dance on Valentine’s Day this year, and my friends are gonna have a sleepover after. Can I go?”

“Yes, of course. Do you need anything? A ride? I can ask Henry for you…”

“No, I have everything I need,” he said, and smiled at her. “How was your day?”

“Same as yesterday. What about yours?”

“It was pretty good.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” She walked over and kissed him on the forehead. “You should get some sleep.”

“You, too,” he said. She laughed weakly and walked to her room.

“Don’t worry about me,” she said, and Otto lay back down on the couch. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his mother to be okay, but he wished he could help her more. She wouldn’t let him get a job because she wanted him to focus on her studies, but she had to make up that slack herself. She always had.

Margaret Lammermeier was only sixteen when she became pregnant. The father, who was a couple years older, initially planned to stick around to support them at least through the early years, but he found out she would be having twins and bounced with nothing to show but some bills that he pressed into Margaret’s hand before disappearing forever. That was a little over seventeen years ago.

Boyfriends had come and eventually had gone. So did jobs. Margaret barely had time for Henry and Otto because she had to work two, sometimes three a day in order to keep them fed. But they made it work. The apartment was small, but at least it was cool in the summer and warm in the winter and the water always ran. They had what they needed most of the time. Sometimes things were scary, though, like when Otto broke his arm and saw his mother cry for the first time over the hospital bills.

Otto stared up at the ceiling, trying to clear his head of all the worries, but then he remembered another one. He reached for his phone and opened a text.

 

**Otto:** hey are you up

**Georg:** now i am

**Georg:** whats going on?

**Otto:** i was wondering

**Otto:** if it isnt too much trouble

**Otto:** do you have something i can wear to the dance?

**Georg:** dude of course

**Georg:** i got u covered

**Otto:** thanks :P 

**Georg:** we literally go through this every year

**Otto:** yeah but ive got to make sure your fashion style is still decent before i borrow clothes

**Georg:** ha ha

**Georg:** please read that as sarcastic

**Otto:** 2 late, i already read it genuine

**Georg:** curses!

**Otto:** can i come over this weekend?

**Georg:** sure

**Georg:** we can finish that campaign too

**Otto:** aww yiss

**Georg:** ok i gotta sleep

**Otto:** night

**Georg:** gnight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll do my best to get you a new chapter soon. In the meantime, all feedback (kudos, comments, etc) is appreciated and I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far. Until next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my defense, I go to boarding school and know very little about the life and times of regular teenagers. I'm doing my best.

Moritz and Melchior were late, as usual, so by the time they walked through the door, Wendla was half finished with her tea and Ilse was really thinking about getting another pineapple bun. The boys got their food and teas and came to sit down.

“Sorry we’re late,” Moritz said. “I totally forgot and Melchi had to wait for me.”

“You forgot?” Ilse said, mock-offended.

“I forgot to set an alarm,” he corrected.

“Why did we come to this place?” Melchior asked. “I thought Wendla liked the tea place over near school.”

“I do,” Wendla said. “But this place has the bakery and Ilse prefers their Thai iced tea, apparently.” Ilse shrugged.

“It’s got a better flavor.”

“It’s February, why are we even getting iced tea?”

“Well, it’s actually been pretty mild this winter,” Melchior said.

“It hasn’t even snowed yet,” grumbled Ilse. They sat for a moment, eating or taking sips of their tea.

“I’m glad that we could all get together,” Wendla said. “We see you guys every day, but it’s been such a long time since the four of us hung out like this.”

“A lot has happened since then,” Melchior said, winking at Moritz, who blushed.

“Hey, don’t forget about us!” Ilse slung an arm around Wendla’s shoulders.

“What are the odds that we’d all end up dating each other?”

“Actually, pretty high,” Melchior said. “We only have so many friends.”

“No,  _ we _ only have so many friends,” Moritz said. “ _ You _ have about a million.” Melchior shrugged.

“Yeah, but you guys have been here the longest. And I like you the best.”

“Melchior Gabor, you are such a sap,” Ilse said, though she was smiling and squeezed her girlfriend’s hand.

“Maybe I am, but I’m also talking to the girl who spent two weeks on a painting to ask her girlfriend to a dance.” Ilse stuck out her tongue at him and Wendla blushed.

“Speaking of, Wendla, how did you convince your mom to let you go? She doesn’t know about Ilse, does she?”

“Actually, she doesn’t know I’m going with Ilse like that,” Wendla said. “I told her I didn’t have a date.”

“And I told my mom I was going with you, Moritz,” Ilse said. Moritz nodded.

“Funny, that’s what I told  _ my  _ mom,” Melchior said.

“So our plan is to just take pictures when we get there,” Wendla said. “And most of them will be group pictures anyway.”

“How many are there now?” Moritz asked.

“Twelve? If we count Martha’s boy.”

“Is he coming to the sleepover?” Melchior shook his head.

“That’s good,” Ilse said. “Wouldn’t want to scare him away from Martha because of us.”

“Hey, I’m tame,” Melchior protested. “And he  _ should _ have an appropriate level of caution. If he hurts Martha, he’ll face our wrath.”

“You mean he’ll face  _ Thea’s _ wrath,” Wendla said. Moritz took a sip of his tea before speaking.

“So, do you guys think there’s really something between Thea and Otto?” Melchior shrugged, but Ilse shook her head.

“Nope,” she said. “I don’t think Thea likes him that way.”

“And Otto never mentioned having a crush either,” Wendla added.

“Yeah,” Melchior said. “But remember what happened last time Otto told us he had a crush? I think he might be keeping something from us.”

“And Thea definitely likes him -  _ she _ asked  _ him _ to the dance!”

“Only because they were the only two left.”

“In the school? I don’t think so.” Ilse rolled her eyes.

“In our friend group. They’re  _ friends _ , nothing more.”

“Care to put your money where your mouth is?”

“Melchi, that’s not a good idea…”

“No,” Ilse said. “I think it’s a great idea. Us versus you.”

“Babe…”

“You’re on.”

“What are the terms?”

“If Thea and Otto don’t kiss by the end of the night, we’ll buy you all the tea you can drink. If they do kiss, you do the same for us.”

“Wait a second,” Wendla said. “We have to be more specific. There’s going to be a sleepover; it would be really easy to force them to kiss.” Moritz looked between his friends, shocked.

“You’re in on this, too?” Wendla shrugged.

“I really like tea.”

“Okay, fine,” Melchior said. “It has to be a voluntary kiss. Happy?”

“And no meddling,” Wendla added.

“ _ Fine, _ ” he said. “We let them figure it out themselves. Do we have a deal?” He stuck out his hand, and Ilse shook it, then Wendla. “Moritz? You’re on my team?” Moritz put a hand on his forehead.

“I’m not responsible for any of this,” he said. “But I think Melchior’s victory would be the cutest outcome.”

“I’m not saying they wouldn’t be cute together,” Wendla said. “I’m just saying that they won’t be together. You’re going down, Gabor.”

“In your dreams.”

* * *

 

After Melchior and Moritz left, Ilse remembered that she needed to pick up toothpaste, so Wendla, being the excellent girlfriend that she was, walked with her to the drugstore. 

“I think there are more aisles here every time,” Ilse commented. As they walked past an aisle full of snacks, Wendla stopped.

“Otto?” After a second, he looked up. “Hey,” she said, walking towards him. Had his hair always been this long?

“Hey,” he said, smirking. “How’s it going?”

“Pretty good,” Ilse said. “We’re just grabbing some toothpaste. What are you doing?” He gestured to the shelf in front of him.

“We’re out of cereal.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah.” They stood in silence for a moment.

“Hey, are you and Thea planning to go to Georg’s before the dance?”

“Huh?”

“Georg’s mom invited us to take pictures and have snacks, remember? Are you and Thea going?”

“I, uh, haven’t asked her yet. Can I get back to you?”

“Of course. See you on Monday?”

“Yeah,” he said, and they walked away. When they were a few aisles away, Wendla finally spoke.

“Did he seem okay to you? His voice was different, and there was something about his eyes…”

“Wendla, he’s baked.” At her girlfriend’s quirked eyebrow, Ilse clarified. “Like a cake. He’s  _ high _ .”

“Oh,” she said, surprised. “How could you tell?”

“Didn’t you smell it?”

“I mean, he smelled  _ different _ , but I didn’t know that it was, uh,” she changed her voice to a whisper, “ _ weed _ .” Ilse laughed.

“You can say it out loud; no one’s going to arrest you.” Wendla blushed.

“But that’s odd. I never would have expected it, at least not from him.”

“Me neither. I guess Otto’s full of surprises.”

“Hopefully not  _ too _ many. I do not want to lose this bet.”

“Don’t worry babe,” Ilse said and gave Wendla a peck on the cheek. “We won’t.”

* * *

 

Otto was reading on the couch when Henry walked in.

“Guess what,” his brother said.

“What?”

“I met your friends today.”

“You  _ what _ ?” Otto nearly dropped his book. Henry laughed.

“Relax, bro. They didn’t even know it was me.”

“Oh.”

“They thought I was you. It was kind of hilarious.”

“You didn’t do anything to embarrass me, did you?”

“Man, I should have thought of that. But no, I was too busy picking out cereal. You’re welcome, by the way.” He set the box on the counter.

“Who was it?”

“Dude, how would I know? Two girls.”

“More specific?”

“One had, like, short hair? Really short?” Must have been Ilse.

“And the other one?”

“Brown hair.”

“That could be anyone.”

“I’m pretty sure they were dating.”  _ Ah. _

“Got it.”

“Man, you should be embarrassed. Your own friends can’t tell the difference between us.” Otto blushed.

“I’m sure they could if we were both there. They don’t even know I have a brother.”

“I’m hurt, honestly,” Henry said. “That you feel the need to keep me a secret.” Otto rolled his eyes.

“I guess you just never came up.”

“Hurt again,” Henry said. “Whatever. I’m going to my room.” He shut the door behind him. Otto really hoped he had been telling the truth about not having done anything, or he was going to have a lot of explaining to do on Monday.

“Oh, by the way,” he heard Henry call from his room. “Who’s Thea?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fingers crossed I get the next chapter out soon! In the meantime, comments/kudos are greatly appreciated, or check me out at zartharn.tumblr.com   
> Until next time!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry; I haven't updated in forever! Hopefully now that I'm home, I'll have a little more time to devote to the story (although college sups won't write themselves...)  
> I'll do my best to get another chapter out as soon as I can (maybe this thing will be finished before the actual valentine's day.)

Otto wasn’t sure why it felt like he was being watched on Monday. Everywhere he went, he had the unsettling feeling that there were eyes on him. But when he turned around, he couldn’t figure out who was looking. It made him uneasy.

By the time he got to the lunch line, he was jerking his head around every few minutes to try and see who was watching him. Thea was in front of him again.

“Stop doing that,” she said.

“Doing what?”

“Looking around like that. It’s weird.”

“Sorry, but I could swear someone’s watching me.” She snorted

“Well, yeah. Look at the table in the far right corner, but don’t be too obvious.” Otto slowly turned his gaze to the table where several of their friends were seated, noticing them just in time to see them turn away.

“How did you know?” Thea rolled her eyes.

“They’re watching me, too. Something’s up.”

“I’ll say. What do you think it could be?” Thea shrugged.

“I don’t know. I had some ideas, but I guess they’re watching you, too. Maybe that’s a clue.”

“A clue? What are we, detectives?” Thea grinned.

“Love a good mystery.”

“Yeah, but not when the mystery is ‘why are our friends being creepy to us’.”

“I’ve got an idea,” she said. “You go sit somewhere else today.”

“What? Why?”

“Because then I can talk to them and get the scoop on you, and maybe it’ll give us a clue about me.”

“Why don’t you sit somewhere else?”

“Otto, no offense, this requires finesse. I’ll tell you as soon as I figure it out, promise.”

“You’re lucky I like you so much.” As soon as the words slipped from his mouth, he started blushing against his will. Luckily Thea seemed not to notice.

She did notice, in fact, but she was too busy turning away to make sure Otto didn’t see the grin that spread over her cheeks. After a second of composing herself, she spoke again.

“Okay, so it’s a plan. Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” he said automatically. He watched Thea head towards their usual table and quickly realized that he had no idea where to sit. Fuck.

He looked around the cafeteria, sweating a little. Lunch was already in full swing, and it seemed like there was nowhere in the world for him right now. He hadn’t sat without his friends in two years. Upon a second search, he noticed a wave from one of the tables. It was Max, captain of the soccer team. Otto checked to make sure Max was, in fact, waving at him, and then made his way over to sit down. He knew some of the other kids at the table, but didn’t realize who was sitting next to him until he had already put his tray down, and by then it was too late.

* * *

When Thea sat down, she could see how hard everyone was trying not to look suspicious. And failing. It was cute. Moritz was about to say something, but he faked a cough, which turned into a real cough. Wendla started bouncing in her seat, and Ilse pinched her to make her stop. After a minute or so of awkward silence, Thea took some initiative.

“Why are you all acting so weird?” The table erupted in a fit of mock-confused action, complete with a few ‘what’s and ‘who, me?’s. Ernst spilled his water and what followed was a frenzy of napkins trying to simultaneously clean it up and avoid eye contact with Thea. “I’ve known you guys forever. Something’s up.” 

“We, uh, we were…” Anna wasn’t great at this.

“Where’s Otto?” Martha said. Only she could sound innocent at a time like this. “Weren’t you just in line with him?”

“So you  _ have _ been spying on him,” she accused. “Why?”

“Uh,”

“We think Otto smokes weed,” Wendla blurted. Every head turned to face her.

“Yeah,” Melchior said, slowly. “We do. And we just want to make sure he’s okay.”

“That’s it? Melchior smokes  _ actual _ cigarettes, and you guys have never been weird to him.”

“Well, I-”

“Why have you been watching him all day?”

“Who said we were watching him?” Ilse said.

“Otto did.”

“Which brings us back to the question, where is he?”

“He didn’t want to sit here because you all are acting really weird,” Thea said.

“Are you sure he didn’t just want to sit next to Marianna?” Moritz said, staring off past Thea’s shoulder.

“What?” He lifted an arm to point.

“Holy shit.”

* * *

“Otto?”

Otto had a little trouble processing because all that ran through his mind was  _ fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck _ with a little  _ shit shit shit shit shit shit _ for color. Marianna Wheeland.  _ Marianna Wheeland. _ He’d spent two years trying to avoid eye contact with her, and now there she was, next to him. With a cautious smile on her face.  _ Okay Lammermeier, you can do this. _

“Hey, how’s it going?”  _ Okay, good start. _

“I’m alright.” She pushed a curl behind her ear and stared down at her tray. If Otto was focusing on anything other than how he presented at that exact moment, he might have noticed that she looked just as nervous as he did. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah,” was all he could manage.

“It’s funny,” she continued. “We used to see each other all the time, and now we don’t.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry about that, by the way.”

“Sorry about what? If anything,  _ I  _ avoided  _ you _ .” 

“Yeah, but my friends made it all weird. I never really apologized. I miss hanging out with you.”

“I miss hanging out with you, too,” she said. “And that was freshman year. I personally prefer to block 9th grade from my memory entirely.” Otto tilted his cup towards her.

“I’ll drink to that.”

“That’s milk.”

“I know.”

* * *

Thea turned back to the table.

“So? What do I care if he’s talking to her? Why am I in charge of him? I’m not in charge of him. He can do whatever he wants. Why do you care so much anyway? It’s just Marianna.” Melchior grinned at Moritz, and Ilse scowled.

“They haven’t talked in two years,” Ernst said to no one in particular. “They seem to be doing okay.”

“Well, I’m glad for him,” Thea said, and it was only half a lie. If she really didn’t care, why was the pit of her stomach so uneasy?

“I wonder what they’re talking about,” Martha said.

“Maybe he’s asking her to the winter formal,” Anna said.

“He’s already going with Thea, remember?” Moritz said.

“What if she’s asking him?” Wendla offered.

* * *

Otto could handle this. After a little catching up with Marianna, he managed to get away with eating his lunch in silence while the rest of the table talked about something he couldn’t really understand. Something about a party last week. It was times like these that he wondered what things would have been like if he’d stopped hanging out with his friends and instead spent more times with the soccer team. Would he still talk to Marianna? Would he even have to give up the friends he’d grown to know so well? What would his life be like if he didn’t play video games with Georg, or laugh at Melchior’s antics, or even have Hanschen talk to him like a normal human (okay, that one he was still working on, but he had a better chance nowadays)? Max interrupted his train of thought.

“What about you, Otto?”

“Huh?” Max laughed.

“Are you going with anyone to the dance?”

“It’s like you have no faith in me.” Max shrugged.

“Maybe you were going with a group,” Marianna supplied. “Are you?” Otto blushed.

“No, I have a date.”

“Who?”

“Thea.” 

“Good one, dude. Who are you really taking?” Otto looked around the table and felt like he was missing something. Why was this funny?

“Thea. What’s wrong with that?”

“Are you seriously taking Thea? Like she agreed to go with you?” Otto nodded, and his teammate next to him slapped him on the back.

“Well. You never can judge a book.”

“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”

“Otto, Thea’s hot, but she’s, like stone-cold.” It was Otto’s turn to laugh. “I’m serious. Ask any guy who’s had a crush on her. She looks at you with those eyes, and you’re gone, man.”

“That’s crazy.”

“I’m just saying. You are in some lucky shoes, my friend.”

“Stop giving him a hard time,” Marianna said.

“I’m proud of Lammermeier,” Max defended. “I’m just a little jealous, is all.”

“Wow, that feels great to hear,” Marianna deadpanned.

“Aw, babe, you know I don’t mean it that way.” Otto looked between the two of them.

“Wait, when did that happen?” Max laughed.

“Like I said, it’s been a while,” Marianna said. “I’m glad you’re going with Thea, Otto.”

“Yeah,” he said, still stunned. “Me too.”

* * *

Thea tried to play it cool. She really did. But her red cheeks betrayed her to the table.

“Holy shit, Thea,” Georg said amazedly. “Do you  _ like _ Otto?”

“Seriously? Is that all you ever think about?” He shrugged.

“Why are you so upset then?” Melchior asked, and right then Thea wanted to punch him in his perfect face.

“I’m not.”

“Liar..” Anna said under her breath.

“Hey!” Thea protested. “Whose side are you even on?” Anna shrugged.

“We want you to be happy, Thea,” Martha said. “At least some of us do. If you like Otto, we support you.”

“Well, I don’t know what you all have collectively been smoking, but you’re out of your minds. Otto is literally just my friend. That is all he will ever be.”

“Whatever you say,” Ernst said with a smile.

“Don’t give me that look, Robel. I can kick your ass.”

“Hanschen will protect me. Won’t you?” Hanschen looked between Ernst and Thea.

“Look, I love you, but you’re on your own here. I’ve felt Thea’s wrath and I don’t really want to go through that again.”

“It doesn’t matter; I’m leaving.” Thea grabbed her tray and stormed off. As soon as she was out of the dining room, Wendla turned to Melchior with a triumphant grin.

“Ha!”

“What?”

“You might as well forfeit now, Gabor. Did you see how pissed she was? There’s no way they’ll kiss now.”

“I’m sorry, what are we talking about?” Anna looked eager to get in on whatever had Wendla so worked up.

“We made a bet. Wendla and I think that Thea and Otto won’t get together, but Melchior and Moritz-”

“Again, I didn’t want to be part of this.”

“-Too late - say that they will. The bet is on whether or not Thea and Otto will kiss by the end of the dance.”

“O ye of little faith,” Ernst said. “I say they will.”

“Did you just quote the Bible?” Ernst shrugged.

“When I was younger, I wanted to be a priest.”

“Huh.”

“But the terms of the deal were that there would be no meddling, remember?” Melchior said.

“If anyone was meddling, it was you. And look how that worked out for you.”

“It’s called karma, kiddo.” Ilse high-fived her girlfriend.

“You guys are really into this,” Martha said. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to bet on them?”

“Hey, at least we’re not setting them up.” Melchior and Moritz looked at each other with a smirk.

“I mean, that  _ has _ had our best track record so far,” Georg said, gesturing to them. “But Otto’s my best friend. I trust him to figure this out himself.”

“And you didn’t trust  _ us _ ?” Melchior said dramatically. “I’m hurt. Truly.”

“Whatever. The dance is only a few days away anyway. If something happens, it’ll happen then.”

“I guess we have to keep waiting.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for your patience. I've only got a few chapters to go, and now that I've done my college apps I might be able to get them out a little quicker. I still say I plan to get this finished before Valentine's day.  
> Also, I hope you like Otto and Thea, because they're whom this fic is about.

Otto stood in his best friend’s suit in the bathroom, freaking out. He looked fine; that wasn’t the issue. The issue was how weird this week had been. After the thing on Monday, he tried to ask Thea why his friends were acting up, but she breezed right by him. However, that night he texted her and they talked for almost an hour. But the next few days she seemed to be avoiding him, and he wanted to know why but he also didn’t want to make things worse if he’d done something wrong. Was she embarrassed to talk to him? Their friends were being weird, too, but that was nothing new. And now Otto had to go pick up Thea at her house, but he couldn’t seem to move. Because if he moved he’d have to face the horrible truth that he had no idea how he was going to get Thea. If he’d been thinking more clearly, he might have thought to ask his mom whether she’d be working tonight so he could schedule a ride beforehand. But he had forgotten so she wasn’t an option, and he could try to call one of his friends, but it was getting late and he was sure they were all busy getting ready and getting rides anyway but that left-

Henry knocked on the door, shaking Otto out of his head.

“Hey man, I really need to piss.” Otto pulled open the door and Henry took him in. “Wow, why the suit?”

“School dance.”

“Right, how could I forget.” Otto continued to stand in the doorway. “Is everything okay?”

“I, uh,” Otto swallowed hard. He didn’t want to do this, but he wanted to stand Thea up even less. “I need a ride. I promised a girl I’d pick her up and-”

“And you can’t drive. Wow Otto, having her meet the family on the first date is a ballsy move.”

“It’s not like I have a choice. Will you do it?”

“Right now?”

“Yeah.” Henry considered for a moment.

“Fine, just lemme go to the bathroom.”

“Oh yeah, right.”

* * *

Thea was a big girl. She could handle being stood up.

Okay, maybe she was overreacting. After all, it wasn’t even  _ that _ late yet, and Otto still had a few minutes before when he promised he’d be there. So Thea resisted the urge to text him as she re-checked her makeup for the upteenth time. He wasn’t even late yet.  _ She  _ was the one being stressed.  _ Come on, pull yourself together. _

In the back of her mind (oh, fuck it, it was in all of her mind) was the worry that he really wasn’t coming. That her distance this week had made him think twice about going with her and now he was letting her wait for him like an idiot. It’s not like she could blame him; she hadn’t been the nicest in ignoring him. But she couldn’t help it - every time she so much as  _ looked _ at him, her stupid friends with their  _ stupid _ theories were making eyes at each other and acting like they knew something she didn’t. Like they were just waiting for her to figure out her obvious girl-feelings.

_ They’re kind of right, you know. _

After all, what would be so bad about admitting that she liked Otto? They were friends, after all. Maybe even more than that - friends in a different way. He wasn’t her friend like any of the girls she knew. He wasn’t a friend that she could make fun of constantly, like Georg, or someone to geek out with, like Ernst. She didn’t feel sorry for him, like Moritz, and they didn’t share a particular brand of disdain for humanity (three guesses who she shared that with.) He wasn’t even a fantasy, like Melchior had been before she realized what a dweeb he really was. Otto...fit. He fit her dry sense of humor, and he could match her quips. He was no sap, but he wasn’t guarded either - she knew he cared about his friends, even when he joked around.  _ And he’s not so hard on the eyes. _

But this great guy was also late. That was a strike against him. Thea read over his texts, confirming that he was picking her up. Awesome. Well, no use having a crush on a guy if he didn’t care enough to give her a ride in the first place.  _ Maybe it’s not too late to ask mom for a ride… _

The doorbell sounded and Thea rushed down the stairs. She stopped in front of the door for a moment, thinking that maybe she was going to seem a little too eager. Then again, they would be late if she stalled anymore. She opened the door with accusations on the tip of her tongue, but they faded when she saw Otto standing sheepishly on her front step.

Well, sheepishly wasn’t the best way to put it. Sure, his face conveyed embarrassment and guilt, but that’s not what made Thea’s breath catch in her throat. Otto was standing in the golden glow of her porch light, which deepened the shadows of his face and made him look like a painting. His suit fit well and his hair was pushed back in a way that she’d never seen before but liked. He looked good, and Thea had half a mind to grab him right there and kiss him. Otto broke the silence.

“You look great,” he said, and if it had been a little lighter she might have seen the pink blush creeping into his cheeks.

“You do, too,” she said after another moment of staring.

“I have to tell you something,” he said as she grabbed her coat and her overnight bag, closing the door behind her. “I have a twin brother and he’s giving us a ride so don’t freak out when you see him.” As if on cue, Henry honked the horn for Otto to hurry up.

“Um, okay,” Thea said. She followed him down the drive and he opened the door for her. She slid inside and caught a glimpse of the driver’s face in the rearview. He turned around and it was spooky how much he looked like Otto - besides his hair.

“This is Henry,” Otto said as he climbed in the backseat with her. “Henry, meet Thea.”

“Otto’s told me a lot about you,” he said with a smirk.

“You have?” Otto’s face got redder.

“He’s joking. C’mon, we’re gonna be late.”

“Fine, fine.” Henry started up the car and headed down the road.

They didn’t talk much in the car ride, as Otto was busy giving Henry directions to Georg’s house.

When they got there, Thea was surprised how nice everyone looked. Even Moritz was wearing a tie that matched his shirt (he had Ilse to thank for that). They hung out in Georg’s surprisingly nice living room and ate snacks and took turns meeting Martha’s date.

“Is it just me,” Wendla said while Martha was busy introducing him. “Or does Lucas kind of look like-”

“Oh my god, he looks like Moritz,” Ernst butted in. Thea stifled a laugh. Of  _ course _ her friend would date someone who looked like her longtime crush.

Meanwhile, Otto was trying his best not to seem weird. What was he supposed to do? Thea was technically his date - what did dates do? The couples in the room were joined at the hip,  _ obviously _ , but even Anna and Georg were chatting privately.  _ Way to go, man. _ Otto thought as he watched his friend blushing when Anna laughed.  _ Even fucking Georg knows what he’s doing. _

So he stood nearish to Thea and hoped she’d know what to do more than he did. After all, they were in this together, right?

Then the time came to take group photos and even though Otto had his arm around Thea it wasn’t  _ that _ weird because he had an arm around Melchior also.  _ Just friends, _ he reminded himself again as he smiled for the camera. Then Ilse suggested they do awkward prom poses and Otto was about to go for the world’s most distant hover hands when Thea grabbed his arms and pulled them around her waist.  _ Holy shit. _ Maybe she could sense the way he stiffened, but she didn’t say anything.

_ Then _ everyone decided they wanted individual couple’s pictures so Otto got to watch his friends take lovey pictures in front of Georg’s fireplace because hey, it was still Valentine’s day. Thea looked at him and raised an eyebrow that said ‘do you want to?’ and Otto just nodded. She didn’t need to know how fluttery his chest was feeling.

So they stood pressed up against each other and he wrapped his arm around her and they smiled like friends. Because that’s all they were. Friends.

And then Thea turned to him and kissed him on the cheek and he heard the camera click and saw Melchior elbow his boyfriend with a smug look on his face. He didn’t know what that was about, but he was more focused on wondering whether Thea could feel how quick his pulse had become because if she could, she’d know something was going on, and if she knew, he was absolutely  _ fucked. _

That’s what he thought, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I debated whether to end this chapter with "totally fucked" instead. Hope you enjoyed, and as always, I appreciate feedback of any kind (comment, kudos)  
> Also check me out on tumblr (http://zartharn.tumblr.com/) and if you like hearing SA songs covered, then go to my spring awakening tag (#spring awakening) to hear some of my covers (I have two, am working on more).
> 
> Until next time, when we go to the dance!


	8. Chapter 8

Somehow or other, they showed up exactly on time. This was Wendla’s fault, since once she decided she wanted maximum dancing time, Ilse couldn’t say no to her, and no one else really could either.

“But no one will be there when it starts,” Georg had protested a few days before at lunch.

“Why do you care if no one’s there?” Anna said.

“Yeah, it’s not like we really have any other friends,” Otto deadpanned.

So despite some minor grumbling, they showed up exactly when the dance started. The dance was held in their school cafeteria, and the only people there when they arrived were the dj, the chaperones, and a few overly eager freshmen who had quickly realized their mistake but didn’t have the means to be anywhere else.

But Wendla didn’t care. She immediately hit the dance floor and the group had no choice to follow her. Plus, having twelve people made the fact that they were the only ones there a lot less awkward.

Thea didn’t really know what to do with her hands - she didn’t dance much. So she sort of swayed to the music and watched her friends dance under the pink-purple lights. Most of her friends were just kind of flailing limbs to the music and doing bad disco moves. Thea knew that Anna was a dancer, but it was still funny to watch everyone’s face when she started to bust out some moves. She made eye contact with Hanschen, who was also sort of swaying, and he almost smiled in a  _ hey, our friends are idiots but we love them _ kind of way. Almost.

A new song came on (that they would most certainly hear again when more people showed up), and Ernst leaned close enough so that Hanschen could hear him speak over the music.

“Hey, do you swing?” Hanchen held back a laugh.

“Ernst, I feel like you know me well enough now that you should already know the answer.”

“No, I mean swing  _ dance _ . Do you know how?”

“Do you?” Ernst grinned.

“Follow my lead.”

Immediately, Ernst grabbed Hanschen’s hands and started to, well, swing him around in the dance. Despite the way that each of their moves mirrored each other, Ernst was able to guide him through the moves without having to say much. Hanchen found himself spinning around Ernst’s back and into a dip.

“Sorry, I thought it would be safer. I only learned the guy part in cotillion.” Because  _ of course _ Ernst went to cotillion.

Eventually, other students began to show up and the dance floor got a lot more crowded. Otto was a little disappointed, because even though  _ he  _ knew he looked ridiculous when he danced, his friends didn’t seem to mind. But the rest of the school was a different story.

“I’m gonna go get some water,” he said, mostly to himself.

“Good idea,” someone said. He turned to see that Thea was dancing next to him. He hadn’t noticed because he’d been so busy making sure he looked normal when he danced. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

“Right,” he said, and made his way through the pulsing crowd of people with Thea right behind him.

“Well, this is lovely,” Thea said under her breath when they got to the hallway where the water fountain was. Somehow, this spot had slipped past the chaperones and therefore was rife with couples, each engrossed in each other. “I’m hot, do you wanna go outside?”

It took Otto a second to realize that Thea meant that she was hot temperature-wise and not, well, physically, so his reaction time was delayed.

“Oh - yeah.” She laughed, and took him by the arm to the parking lot. The February chill kept anyone else from being outside, but they were still sweating from the humid dance floor and hardly noticed.

“Uh,” Otto said, unsure of what to do. “Thanks for asking me.”

“Are you having a good time?” He nodded.

“Yeah, thanks. But like, thanks for asking me, ‘cause otherwise I’d be alone. Again. Sorry, that sounds stupid.”

“No, I don’t think it does.” She leaned against the brick exterior of the building. “I think I get it.”

“Yeah?” She nodded.

“Yeah. It feels like the whole world’s in love with each other, and I’m still waiting for someone to notice me.” Otto held back his tongue from saying  _ I notice you _ and just nodded. Suddenly Thea’s shoulders hunched together.

“Are you cold?”

“Yeah. It really snuck up on me.”

“Here.” Otto took off his blazer and she put it on. “I shouldn’t have given that to you; you look better in it than I do.” Thea laughed.

“It’s a nice jacket.”

“It’s Georg’s,” Otto couldn’t help from blurting out.

“I take it back,” she giggled. “It’s an awful jacket.”

“Oh come on, he’s not  _ that _ bad.”

“You’re right, you’re right. I just don’t like thinking about Georg at a time like this.”

“A time like what?” Otto could feel his pulse quicken.

“Otto, I need to ask you something.”

“Yeah?” It came out as barely more than a whisper.

“Don’t laugh.”

“I won’t.” She took a moment to watch her breath turn to clouds in front of her face while trying to find the words.

“Will you… do you… ugh, why is this so hard?”

“What?”

“I like you Otto. Like,  _ like _ you. However dumb that sounds, I just - ugh - I’m sorry I’ve been distant this week it’s just that all our friends thought I had this big crush on you and they’re  _ right _ but it still pissed me off, but seeing you - and you looked so  _ good _ tonight I just - and I’ve never been friends with a guy like you so I don’t want to mess anything up but -” She sighed, composing herself. “Otto, will you go out with me?”

Otto was stunned. For the past few weeks, he’d been seeing picture-fantasies of him and Thea getting ice cream together, of them going to the movies, of them holding hands as they walked down the hallway, but he’d driven them out of his mind because he thought she didn’t feel that way. He thought that maybe he could come to terms with being her friend and nothing more, but then whenever she touched his arm, his heart did somersaults in his chest. He stared at her, trying to process what she had just said.  _ She _ liked  _ him _ ? And she asked him out? He didn’t realize how long he had been standing and staring until she spoke.

“Otto? Are you okay?” 

“Uh, yeah, sorry.”

“Yeah. So…”

“Can I kiss you?” He said quietly.

“Is that a yes?” He nodded, and Thea placed her hand on the back of his head and closed the gap between them. 

Otto had kissed girls before. Okay, fine. Otto had kissed  _ a _ girl before, but it felt sticky and their teeth clacked together and he was all too glad for it to be over. Right before his lips made contact with Thea’s, he was afraid that this would be the same. But then they met, and he suddenly understood why everyone in the goddamned world loved doing this. He remembered to close his eyes, and with his vision cut off, he could focus on the way her warmth felt against his, how her back felt against his arms, and how it felt to be wrapped tighter in her arms. They pulled apart slowly, mutually, and looked at each other.

“Was that okay?” He said. She nodded, trying to hide her giddy smile.

“That was awesome.” Otto wanted to stay out in that frozen parking lot with Thea for the rest of the night, but he knew his friends would wonder where they were.

“C’mon, let’s go inside. We still haven’t shown off our killer dance moves yet.”

“Lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback appreciated as always. thank you for your patience re: updates, I'm doing my best. I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next chapter (sleepover!)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just in time for Valentine's day!

“Spin the bottle?”

“Ew, like I’d want to kiss Georg.”

“Hey!”

“What about Apples to Apples?”

“Seriously, Anna?”

“Truth or dare?” Melchior suggested. Moritz groaned.

“Really?”

“Moritz, I don’t see why you’re opposed,” Ilse said, leaning into her girlfriend’s shoulder. “Truth or dare helped you and Melchior get together.”

“It did?” Moritz ignored his boyfriend.

“Yeah, but at what cost?”

“It’s still a good idea,” Wendla said. “And we can always play something else later.”

“Fine,” Moritz said.

“Is everyone else okay with that?” They all shrugged or nodded.

“Okay, who wants to go first?”

“I will,” Martha said. “Hmm, okay. Ernst, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Umm, oh! What’s the most embarrassing thing that Hanschen does in private?”

“Why is this about me?” Martha rolled her eyes.

“Because you’re incredibly closed off around us even though we’re friends. So, Ernst?”

“Uh,” Ernst tapped a finger against his chin. “Oh! Sometimes when we’re cuddling, he purrs.”

“I do not,” Hanschen pouted.

“It’s adorable. I love it.”

“Stop, you’re gonna make me sick.”

“You know you love us, Melchior. Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” he smirked.

“Alright, fine. I  _ dare _ you to say one nice thing about everyone in this circle, uh, counterclockwise.”

“Easy,” he replied. “Okay. Moritz, I love you.”

“More specific than that,” Ernst interrupted. Melchior huffed.

“Okay, fine. Moritz, you’re a great kisser and you always send the best memes.”

“That’s two things,” Wendla teased.

“Does it matter?”

“Just keep going,” Moritz said.

“Ilse, I love every coat you’ve ever worn. Wendla, you’re literally the human version of fresh-baked cookies.”

“Careful,” Ilse said. “She’s taken.” Melchior ignored her.

“Martha, you’ve always given me good advice. Anna, you’re an incredible dancer.”

“Damn straight.”

“Georg, you’re surprisingly good at piano.”

“Did that have to be backhanded?”

“And you’re incredibly astute. Otto, you never fail to amuse me. Thea, you’re never afraid to call me on my shit. Hanschen…”

“One nice thing, Gabor.”

“I admire how you care for your friends even though you pretend to be an asshole.” Hanschen turned red.

“Shut up.”

“And finally, Ernst, you bring a genuine positive energy to the room.”

“Aww, you’re such a sap,” Anna cooed.

“And I hate you for making me do this.”

“Love you too, Melchi.”

“Okay. My turn. Let’s see…” He looked around the circle. “Otto, truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“I dare you to kiss the cutest person in the room.” Ilse elbowed Moritz.

“Hey, that’s not fair,” she said.

“Ow! It wasn’t me.”

“What’s not fair?” Thea asked.

“Yeah, seriously. What does that even mean?” Otto said. Melchior grinned.

“She says it’s not fair because she knows you’ll kiss me and not her.” Ilse rolled her eyes and Otto snorted.

“Yeah right.” He grabbed his left arm and brought it to his mouth, kissing it wetly. “And you all can suck it,” he said as he flipped off his friends.

“You cannot believe you’re the cutest person in the room,” Thea said, smirking.

“I’m adorable,” he countered.

“Puppies are cute. You’re not cute, you’re…” She realized her friends were all staring intently at the two of them. “Forget it.”

“No, Thea, I wanna hear the end of that,” Melchior said smugly. “What do you think about Otto?”

“Can it, Gabor, it’s not your turn.”

“Yeah, can we move on? Otto, go ahead.”

“Fine. Georg, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“If you could only save one of us from a burning building, who would it be?”

“Wait, are you all in the same burning building? Or is this like a ‘who would I want to be eternally grateful to me for saving them at some point’ kind of question?”

“We’re all in a burning building, and you can only save one of us. Who?” Georg looked around.

“I feel like I’m gonna offend someone whatever I say.”

“Just pick.”

“Fine; I’d save you.” Otto pumped his fist. “Do I get to go now?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay-” He looked down at his pocket suddenly and pulled his phone out. “Whoops, sorry.”

“Really Georg? Who’s texting you?” Anna jeered.

“Nobody- I have an alarm set for midnight so I, uh,” he adjusted his glasses. “So I can go to bed at the same time every night. I forgot to turn it off, I guess.”

“Wait a second!” Everyone turned to look at Wendla. “It’s midnight?”

“Yeah…”

“Which means it’s tomorrow!” Melchior butted in.

“Technically, but I don’t under-” Moritz jumped to his feet, interrupting Georg.

“Thea! Truth or truth, have you ever kissed Otto?”

“What?” Otto squawked at the same time that Thea said “That’s not fair!” Moritz shrugged.

“Consider it payback. So, what’s the answer?”

“You have to tell the truth,” Melchior said. “It’s the rule.”

“I feel like rules have been thrown out the window at this point,” Martha muttered, but everyone was still looking at Thea and Otto. Thea sighed.

“Yes.” Melchior grabbed his boyfriend and spun him around.

“Hold on,” Ilse said. “That could mean anything. Maybe it was two years ago.”

“No, it was today - yesterday” Thea revealed as her cheeks turned pinker. “We’re dating, I think.”

“No, yeah, we are,” Otto said. “Unless you don’t want to, or something.”

“I asked  _ you _ out, dumbass.”

All the while they were ignoring the shrieks and “oh my god”s coming from their friends.

“Guys, you’re gonna wake my parents up!”

“Awww, I knew it!”

“She can do better.”

“Shut up, Hansi, they’re adorable.”

“Not as cute as you.”

“We win!” screamed Melchior at the top of his lungs. “Ahahaha!”

“Win what?” Otto said, distracted from his girlfriend by Melchior’s wild shouting. Moritz froze in his celebration.

“Don’t get mad,” he quickly said.

“Were you guys… betting on us?” Thea looked around at her friends’ guilty faces. “Oh my god, is that why you’ve been so weird?”

“To be fair, only Wendla and Ilse and Moritz and Melchior were betting,” Martha said. “But we all knew about it.”

“I can’t believe this,” Otto said. “I hate you all.” Thea mock-gasped. “Except you, maybe.”

“What a romantic,” she deadpanned.

“What about me?”

“Ugh, fine, I don’t hate you, Georg.”

“Aww, you could never hate us,” Anna said.

“Okay, okay. I just deeply disrespect you for betting on my love life. Happy?” Ernst reached over and grabbed both Thea and Otto in a hug.

“I’m just happy you’re happy,” he said.

“I’d be happier if I could breathe,” Thea squeaked.

“Sorry.”

“Now that we’re all caught up on Thea and my secrets, can we get back to the game?”

They went to sleep at some point that morning- no one really remembered. They were all jumbled together on the floor in a mass of limbs and blankets, and Otto was happy. Even though his leg was falling asleep because it was stuck under Georg’s, his arm was clasped with Thea’s.

_ Maybe Valentine’s Day isn’t so bad after all. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading; can you believe I've been working on this story since September and finally finished it? All for a ship nobody even asked for.  
> Thanks for sticking with me, leaving feedback, etc. I appreciate your dedication. Feel free to leave comments, kudos, or to visit me on tumblr or twitter with fic requests, or just to say hey. I've definitely got more content on the way (that won't take as long hopefully).

**Author's Note:**

> hit me up on tumblr at my theater blog[thereinkiss](https://thereinkiss.tumblr.com/) or my main [zartharn.tumblr.com](https://zartharn.tumblr.com) or at twitter [@slickarus](https://twitter.com/slickarus) \- Thanks for reading!


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